


[Ongoing] Relax the Fraying Wool, Slacken Ties

by siriuslyelmo



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bakery Shop Owner Gabriel (Supernatural), Bar Owner Dean Winchester, Castiel is Claire Novak's Parent, Digital Agency Owner Castiel, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Meet-Cute, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:48:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23577163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriuslyelmo/pseuds/siriuslyelmo
Summary: Castiel Novak is the owner of a digital advertising agency, he's a father of two children; Claire Novak, his biological daughter, and Jack Kline, his son from his late wife. After a one hard night at work, Castiel decided to drop by at a bar with an unusual name. Owned by one Dean Winchester. And Pamela Barnes.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Kudos: 21





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here we are. My new DeanCas fanfic, that I made during the stay at home period. It has been a while since I wrote fanfics, so the first few chapters might feel awkwardly written. Hopefully, they will get better though.
> 
> I'm gonna post the story per chapter, except the first few ones, where I'm introducing our characters.
> 
> So, enjoy this one!
> 
> PS. The title came from Franz Ferdinand's song, Dark of the Matinee.

He could feel the familiar heat radiated from the tanned body above him, even with the other person wasn’t exactly pressed on him. Instead, sat on his crotch and bounced with passionate lust. He adored how sweat glistened the body, made it even more sensual and brought such a fascinating sight to his eyes, and to his fingers as he slithered them to the dark skin smoothly. 

Then he got up and brought his hand to touch the face, to caress the chiselled jaw and cheekbones. They were _marvellous_ , as if the gods were in an excellent mood when they created them. The lips were undoubtedly pleasurable - full, soft, and irresistible. Oh, how he _loved_ to devour them.

__With one smooth movement, he brought the face above him closer to his own and crushed a passionate kiss on the mouth. The moan and warm breaths that escaped from the lips he was kissing had aroused him, lead him to tighten the grip on the arse of the other person. When he saw an exposed neck as the reaction from his action, he quickly swiped his tongue all along the salty and slightly wet skin, then he bit a mark on the delicate spot where the neck meets the shoulder._ _

__Another loud whimper came on his ear, and it only excited him, even more, to thrust. He hoped that it could draw more sensual sounds to his ears, and he absolutely loved it when he was right._ _

__He thrust, gripped the arse, and pinched a nipple, he knew _all_ the weak spots that could produce the sounds that he wanted._ _

__“C’mon, babe,” he said huskily while his fingers played on one of the nipples and the dark freckle above it. “God, you looked gorgeous like this,” he closed the praise with a long stripe of lick from the chest to the below of the chin, earned him another groan for his ears. He could feel that the other person is close to the climax, so he gave another kiss to the plump lips that he loved, still with the same lust._ _

__As they kissed, he dropped himself back to bed and practically trapped the other person in his arms. He grunted as he continued to thrust at a fast pace until the kiss was broken and the sounds of breathing came in short gasps._ _

__“I-I’m close …”_ _

__He smirked as he heard that, then he whispered close to the ear near his mouth that his lips practically brushed the lobe sensually earning him goosebumps that he loved to caress, “Come for me, angel.”_ _

__That was all it took to have his name shouted out as he felt the warmth spurted out in ropes and ropes of come on his stomach and chest. But that didn’t stop him from pumping into the sheathing heat until he also reached his climax inside._ _

__Right after that, he felt a comforting weight dropped on his chest, made him chuckled softly as he planted a kiss on the crown of the dark hair on top of his chest. “You were fantastic, baby,” he whispered and softly pulled himself out, and rolled to the side. They were now lying face to face on the bed while still puffed for air._ _

__He showered the face before him with soft kisses, as he ran his hand on the fluffy dark hair, the eyebrow, the cheekbone, and the perfect jaw once more._ _

__Then he let out a deep sigh before he kissed the man before him deeply. “I love you, Cas.”_ _


	2. Meet the Novaks

“Dad!”

Castiel sighed before he put down the book he was reading, _“What?”_

For a few seconds, he considered if he should get up to see what his children’s fuss was all about, but then Cas decided not to. They would surely storm to the couch he laid down on with their problem.

“I have to work, Jack, what are you- _Dad!_ ”

_And here they are._

“Yes, Claire?” the father turned his head to the daughter, without bothered to get up from the comfort of the couch. As he expected, the son quickly followed behind, and both of them proceeded their bickering. What both children didn’t know was that their father had a pair of earpods inside his ear, so their fight was more like muffled noises to him at the moment.

Castiel just laid there, blinked and watched his children fight over the car - if he wasn’t mistaken. Sometimes Castiel wondered how did he manage to raise _both_ Claire and Jack all by himself for the past seven years. And how they both still insisted on living with him after all these years. As he looked at his children now, Cas could understand how people thought that the two of them are twins. 

Both Claire and Jack were of the same age, this year they’d turn twenty with Claire being six months older. At first glance, they did look like sharing similar traits. Both had bright blue eyes, slender figure, and blonde hair - although Claire had brighter blond than Jack’s. 

Castiel married Jack’s mother when the boy was five, and he brought Claire - who was also five at the time - from his previous marriage. Although it took a while for both children to get along, they were the shoulder for each other when Jack’s mother was in an unfortunate incident of a car crash. 

It wasn't a memory that Castiel would like to recall, even though it had been so many years past. What was important for him now, both Claire and Jack grew up beautifully, and the three of them were happy as a family.

“Dad, are you listening to this?”

Or something like that.

Castiel took out the earpods and sighed, “No, I didn’t, because I believe you both are mature enough to solve this car thing among yourselves.”

“So you did listen,” Jack snapped. “Dad, I have work until late, I have the last shift. I will need the car.”

“So am I,” Claire jumped in. “I also got the last shift, and I have a party to go to after.”

Right after she replied, Claire knew that she shouldn’t add the last part as her father raised his eyebrows to her. But, what came next is more of a surprise to her. And Jack.

“Okay, fine. Jack, you can use my car, and _don’t_ scratch it. Claire, no drink and drive, if I ever get a phone call from the police station, for whatever reason, I won’t be bailing you. You’ll be staying there for the night. Or however long they told you to. Is everybody happy?”

“Thanks, Dad,” both of his children replied in unison.

Castiel chuckled at his children, “Seriously, guys, do you really have to fight about this? You guys are actually older than you look, you know, and I need some peace on my weekend.”

“Whiny,” Claire sat on the couch next to his father and took the book that was on Castiel’s stomach, “what are you reading anyway?”

“Erotica,” he answered, and earned disgusted groans from his children, before he continued, “it’s something your grandfather, my father, wrote ages ago. Something about humans versus angels and demons, and later God himself. It’s something that wouldn’t hit the well-known bookstore shelves, but gained quite a popularity outside the mainstream audience.”

Jack joined his father and his sister, then took the book from Claire’s hands, “How come you never tell us much about grandfather, Dad?”

“Because there’s not much to tell of, Jack,” Castiel smiled and got up, “let’s just say, your grandfather is a good person, but not exactly a good family man. Anyway, so none of you is having dinner at home, right?”

“No,” once again, Claire and Jack gave their answer at the same time. Another trait of them that easily made people mistaken them as twins.

“I’m gonna go cook dinner for myself then,” the father walked out from his room, left his children all puzzled, and headed to the kitchen.

Castiel sighed as he walked to the other side of the house, he had been managing his answers whenever Claire and Jack asked about his father. He never meant to give the problematic child’s vibe, but he honestly didn’t know what to tell them about their grandfather. 

Charles Shurley - Castiel even changed his last name to his mother’s maiden name when he turned twenty-one - was an absent father, to say the _least_. He was a writer whose works were considered as one of the titles of the cult, with its own followers and fans that might not be in the common demography.

As he grew up, Castiel saw how his father would disappear from the house often in a long time. His mother would say that he went for inspiration, but ever since he was young, Castiel knew that the answer was just a sugarcoat. He hated that answer. He hated how his father would neglect his family for “inspiration”, without news or even asked how they were doing.

Of course, he was always glad that he got his big brother, Gabriel, accompanied him. In his own way. Castiel is the youngest of four children, and Gabriel seemed like always seeing Castiel as one of his guinea pigs for his pranks and adventures in baking sweets. Until they were in their late teens, and Gabriel moved out of the house. 

The eldest of the Novak children, Michael, is the good son and crown prince. He never doubted his father and always do as what their father said. Anna, the only daughter and Michael’s twin sister, is more or less as devoted to Charles as Michael. However, she knew when to refused and stood up to their father when needed. Then, the sibling right before Castiel is Gabriel, the joker and trickster of the four, and the only one who actually noticed how upset Castiel is towards their father, and understands.

_Gabriel._

It was as if a light bulb just brightened in Castiel’s head. He returned the kale and parmesan cheese into the fridge and took out his phone to find his big brother’s number. Castiel called Gabriel, and he waited for several rings before he heard the familiar voice.

“Cassie! This gotta be good.”


	3. Meet the Brothers Winchester

The lips that were on him pulled back slowly, and he opened his eyes as he felt the complete vacantness on his face. Dean returned the smile from the young man before him, who also threw a meaningful look. He knew that look, he gave that look often to people who sat on that side of the car sometimes, but he wasn’t in the mood tonight. Somehow. 

“Thanks for the beer, Nick,” Dean said before the other man could say anything that will lead to inviting him in. “I’d love to stay, but I’ve got a meeting in the morning.”

There wasn’t any.

Nick’s expression showed disappointment for a quick second before he replied, “Oh, yeah, sure. Of course, it’s still weekdays now.”

It was awkward.

“Right, so, thanks for driving me home, Dean. I’ll see you at the bar again?” Nick sounded hopeful.

Dean let out the smile that he knew will make anyone, male or female, would forget any mistakes he did, “Sure. I’ll call you when I’m heading to that bar again.”

He won’t.

Nick got out of the car and leant on the window, “Cool.”

“See you again, Nick.”

They never will.

As he drove by, Dean let out a sigh. It has been a while since he had sex with anyone, but Nick was also the _fourth_ person he turned down this week. It was like Dean had lost the excitement of the hunt and flirting. Has he really grown up that much? Well, he owned his own bar _and_ managed to keep it going, and gradually made it one of the favourite local go-to places were already signs of him growing. Of course, none of it would happen if he didn’t get the help from people he loves.

Bobby and Ellen, for always being there for him, even during his lowest state. They might not be the perfect people to be parents-substitutes, but they’re the best that Dean ever had, even with them raised him in their own ways. He also now had another younger sibling, Jo, Ellen’s daughter who currently studied Visual Arts in Ohio. Growing up with Bobby and Ellen had given Dean quite an influence on living. He saw how Bobby fixes car in his spare time of being a police officer and how Ellen used to manage a diner in the area. They both had given quite an impression to Dean growing up, that right after he finished uni, Dean knew he wanted to have his own bar to manage.

After some discussions about risks and profit, Ellen let Dean shadowed her at work for three months just so he could learn what to do as an owner of a dining place and how to manage it. Turned out, Dean enjoyed it very much, so he and his adoptive parents started to make a plan on business owning and managing.

That, of course, something John Winchester would frown on.

After years of going back and forth of the country, John finally took Bobby’s offer to work with him at one of the workshops he owned. With everything that happened, it only understandable if John wanted Dean to continue the work he’s done. However, even with Dean enjoyment to fixed cars and all that, especially his ’67 Impala, for him that was all just a hobby, not something that he would consider seriously as something to support his life.

Well, it was entirely supporting at the moment, yes, but for the long term plan, Dean would rather have what he had planned.

There were exhausting days where Dean and John would headbutt about his decision, after a while Bobby and Ellen would join in and give their thoughts on the issue to John, given they also raise Dean as their own (even though Bobby and Ellen weren't married, and merely neighbours at the time). Of course, this only made John even more upset.

Dean respected his father, but maybe that’s about it. John was hardly there for him and Sammy. He always knew John wanted the best for his children after the unfortunate accident at their house. Still, he seemed to _forget_ that his children needed parents - or parent - to raise them. Not only as fund support, and let the elder child took care of the younger one as the father went to work from dawn until dark. There were so many things in life that Dean would love to have his father explained them to him, or experience them with him. 

But that wasn’t how John Winchester worked, apparently.

For some time, Dean followed John’s words to work seriously at the workshop. However, he still worked at Ellen’s diner while learning about Business Management. Later, Bobby introduced Dean to one of his good friends, Pamela, who looked for a partner to open a bar. From there, Dean started to build his dream with the help of Bobby and Ellen, who insisted that they would help him financially at first. Dean also emphasised that he would pay them back every cent right after the bar worked well.

That was five years ago.

Today, the bar welcomed many customers and almost every night Dean would be busy helping out with drinks, kitchen, and everything. Sometimes, he even helped his friend, Benny, as a bouncer, while having a relaxing chat with him. He also managed to pay back the money Bobby and Ellen loaned him, to start the business, every month. He was even able to raise the amount gradually every six months, and Dean was very proud of this.

_Life’s good. No need to add drama or any nuisance now._

The thought popped into Dean’s mind as he came closer to the home he has been living in for the past seven years with Sam. A quirky bunker-converted house that they inherited from their paternal grandfather a few years ago. Dean let out a sigh and mentally noted the things he should do before going to bed tonight.

 _Make a grocery list, read e-mails, set up a meeting schedule with Ellen on Monday, and_ … that’s all he can remember.

_Oh, and drop by for breakfast at Ellen’s tomorrow._

Dean parked his car in the carport, and his Chevrolet Impala fitted right perfectly in inside the carport with his grandfather’s classic cars. Dean loved them, and he took extra care to each of the vehicles. Of course, Dean already sold the ones he wasn’t interested in or gave them to Bobby. Once in a while, he would drive one of the cars around the area, just to hear their engines purr.

“Sammy? You home?” Dean called while climbing up the stairs to the common room. He intentionally made his steps louder than usual, just in case his little brother didn’t hear him coming. God knows if Sam’s having Eileen over and _what_ were they doing. When he didn’t receive any answer, Dean continued to the kitchen, and absent-mindedly he opened the fridge to see what he might found inside. He discovered that his shelves in the refrigerator really need some help in refilling. At the same time, Sammy’s part already filled with colourful vegetables and fruits, and other healthy snacks.

Luckily, Dean still kept a box of doughnuts that he bought at a small and adorable cafe that was located not far from his bar. It got quite a catchy name, the doughnut place, Sweet Tricks. Dean noticed the owner sometimes popped into his bar, mostly with women, and they would have drinks and laugh before they leave together.

“Oh, you’re home.”

The familiar voice made Dean turned his face to the source, “Heya, Sammy,” he responded with his mouth full. “Thought you guys are asleep. Eileen here?”

“No,” Sam walked to the water dispenser and filled his water bottle, “her parents are here, so she’ll be spending time with them this week. I thought you’ll bring home someone, you’re really late tonight.”

Dean smiled and closed the lif of the doughnut box, “Almost, but I backed out in the end. Suddenly I don’t feel like it.”

Samuel Winchester turned his attention to his big brother dramatically, “What is this? Has the time actually came?”

“Shut up, jerk,” Dean chuckled.

“My big brother _finally_ is ready to settle? Who this lucky woman is, I wonder?” Sam continued in mock amusement.

There was a jolt inside his chest as Dean heard his brother mentioned a gender. The actual fact was, lately, Dean felt he was more attracted to _men_ than to women, and none of his family members knows that, including Sammy. As he mentioned before, he didn't want any drama or nuisance in his life for now, so it would be wise to keep this trivia about him to himself. For now.

“Come on, Sammy. I’m just bored with relationships and sex. It’s like repeating the same pattern every time.”

“Huh. Maybe you need something different in your love life, Dean,” Sam sat in front of his big brother and opened the doughnut box. “Although, these looked more interesting than having a relationship.”

Dean raised his eyebrows as Sam wolfed down a chocolate and peanut doughnut, “So, we talked about relationships over a box of doughnuts in the middle of the night, is this high school?”

“We _don’t_ go to high school, Dean. We moved around _too much_ for that.”

A dry laugh escaped Dean’s mouth, “Yeah, you’re right. Well, at least we managed to finish uni, eh?” his question was responded by similar sounds of laughter that he had before from Sam. “Which reminds me, don’t forget breakfast at Bobby’s tomorrow. What do you want to bring?”

“Can we bring these doughnuts?”


	4. Waywarding At The Bar

Blue Remington probably not the name that you would expect from a bar, it sounded more like a lounge in some cheesy 80’s action film. The one with smokes flowing lazily to the air from the tables, gloomy and noir. Then on the platform, there was a man in a tuxedo playing the grand piano while the singer in a long dress that swept the floor serenaded the customers in her deep and husky voice. 

Of course, the Blue Remington that could be found here is nothing like that. Instead, since the owner is a fan of the genre of film - and music - the name seemed suitable with the ambience and atmosphere of a bar. It’s the place where everyone knows everyone, the guests who dropped by seemed to bond a tight community where they could share a laugh, drinks, a few games of pool or darts, and on weekends they will burst out to mass karaoke sessions.

Many people would say that the closeness and cheerfulness of everyone who visited Blue Remington was a big contribution of the owners, Pamela Barnes and Dean Winchester. They’re a great team who invested and passionated much for what they do there, it can be felt by people who go there.

Pamela loved to work at the bar, mixing and experimenting, most of the time she would give out two or three shots of her newest creation for free during Happy Hours. She was also the one who wouldn't be afraid to go and _punch_ the shit out of someone who tried to do anything funny in his bar. And Dean Winchester would love to _watch_ when that happens. Of course, Pamela would snap him after for not helping, even though she knew that she wouldn’t need any. Then Dean would reply that he didn’t want to take out all the fun she was having. 

Although he owned half of the share and ownership of Blue Remington, Dean is more comfortable seeing himself as the working guy there. He practically did everything, from teaming up with Pamela in crafting drinks, taking orders from the customer, right to help out in cooking and washing dishes. Just as he hardly helps Pamela in throwing out shenanigans from their bar, Dean would refuse any help from Pamela.

Due to his antics, many customers would be oblivious that Dean was actually one of the important people at the bar. They would see Dean as another waiter or cleaning person, that is until Pamela would call Dean up to the stage and lead everyone on karaoke nights. And that was how Dean became popular among their customers. Ladies, and gentlemen. 

When Claire Novak and her friends visited Pamela and Dean's place, they didn’t know any of this information. They were browsing for a nice place to spend the night after their shift ended, and someone from their workplace suggested Blue Remington. So, they think it might be worth a try.

As they stepped into the bar, it was obviously different from the cafe that they used to visit. Everyone was loud and having a good time with their companions, and probably with everyone they meet. The tables are simple, no photogenic decor, they will be doing their sole purpose as something you would sit on.  
Although, speaking of tables, most of them seemed occupied tonight, even it was still a little past eleven.

“Hey, you girls alright there?”

Claire turned to the source of the voice.

A man in grey v-neck shirt and dark denim was standing next to them, he was holding a small tablet in his hand. His short light-coloured hair was being held up with hair product, and his eyes were friendly, as well as his smile. 

“Yeah, we just arrived,” Alex Jones, one of Claire’s closest friends, replied to the man, “any chance we can get a table?”

“Oh, right. If you guys don’t mind, I can go check on the back for a bit and I’ll get back to you, sounds good?” he pointed both of his hands in the direction of the back area. 

“That’s perfect, thank you …?”

“Dean. My name’s Dean,” the man gave his hand to the girls and they exchanged names for a few moments. “Right, uh, you girls don’t mind me asking for ID first, do you?”

The girls then took out their IDs and gave them to Dean, who quickly went through the cards one by one, before smiling and returning them to the owners, “Okay, all looks good. So, it’s only the four of you, right? Or are you guys expecting anyone else?”

“No, it’s only us. Thank you, Dean,” replied Claire.

Dean then showed them the waiting area, where they could sit comfortably while he went to find a table for them. The girls spent the waiting time chatting about their day and work. Claire, Alex, Patience Turner, and Kaia Nieves had known each other since high school, and they became the best of friends until today.

“Hello, ladies,” Dean returned with a smile and four menu books, as a sign that his search came to a good result. “I found a table for you guys if you’d follow me.”

“Cool. Thanks, Dean,” Alex led the younger girls to go with her following Dean to their table.

“So, who suggested this place again?”

Claire laughed when she heard Patience asked the question, then she took another shot of the vodka before answering. “Honestly, I don’t know which one I didn’t expect more. So, the dude who told me about this place is more like a geeky guy. He loves _Star Wars_ and _Lord of the Rings_ , he plays video games and board games, so I never expected that he’d go to a place like this.”

“Clearly, Claire, you shouldn’t judge someone by their _interests_ ,” Alex jumped in while pouring more tonic water to her gin. “Although, I can get how you didn’t expect it. The other one?”

The blonde girl cleared her throat before continuing, “I could swear I was expecting this would be a full-on rock and roll bar with people in leather and chains, and-”

“Whoa there, girl, this isn’t a BDSM club,” Dean suddenly had stood next to the girls’ table, carrying an empty pitcher and a table towel. His reaction earned a laugh from the girls.

“I’m sorry, Dean. Clearly I’m not that experienced in going to a bar,” Claire raised her hands. “Especially a place like this. Okay, girls, be honest to Dean here, what do you think of this place?”

Dean raised his eyebrows as he heard Claire’s lead to her friends. He then put the pitcher on an empty table next to theirs and crossed his arms. “This should be interesting. Okay, I’ll hear it, bring ‘em out, girls,” he smiled.

As the other three girls tried to answer the question, Alex shot first, “I like it. Maybe because I grew up with the ’80s and ’90s, so I love the ambience. That pinball machine is a good touch, you know?” she pointed at the machine with her thumb. 

“Oh, thanks. Glad you like it. If you drop by on weekdays, you can try it,” Dean couldn’t hide the pride he felt when hearing how one of the younger guests loved his idea of having a pinball machine in the bar.

“Sure will, Dean. Yeah, I think I wouldn’t mind coming here every now and then,” continued Alex while looking around with amazement in her eyes.

“That’s very pleasant to hear, thank you, Alex,” Dean did a little bow that followed his approval of Alex’s comment. “So … anybody else?”

“I’m not exactly a going out type, except with these girls,” Patience waved her hands to her friends, “but I don’t hate this place as somewhere to unwind after a long hard day of study. Is it always this crowded?”

“No,” the man chuckled at the question, “but you girls so happen to visit on a weekend, so ...”

“But this is the right amount of crowded, you know,” Claire mentioned and looked around, and realised that they were probably one of the very few customers who were still there, as the clock almost struck two in the morning. “Okay, it’s empty now, but before we can still have a chat on this table without having to have a screaming match, you get what I mean, Dean?”

Dean blinked and huffed, “Yeah, I get you, and I also get that none of you is in the condition to drive home to … wherever y’all live. So, I’m going to order you a cab. Cabs? Do you guys live at the same place?”

“No, I’m gonna drive them home,” Claire answered Dean, “I’m good, Dean.”

Claire’s response drew a small laugh from Dean, “Yeah, no, sorry. I took your orders, and you had quite some drinks with you tonight, girls. So, either I’m calling a cab or I’m going to drive you all home by myself.” 

“He’s got a point, Claire,” Kaia said and waved her hand to the bottles and glasses on the table, “did you see our table? Cabs would be good, Dean, thank you.”

“Awesome. If you want, you can park your car here, we have a garage on the back,” Dean took out his phone and started to order cabs for his young guests. “Free of charge.”

Claire beamed at the offer, “My car is just around the corner from here. I’ll move it here then.”

“Yeah, I can’t let you go alone. You’re drinking,” Dean got up and turned to call someone from the bar. A buffed man wearing all black - and somehow looked like people Claire expected to be in this place - walked closer to Dean. “This is Benny, he’s the Bouncer-slash-Manager here. Benny, these are Claire, Kaia, Patience, and Alex. They came here in a car, and since they’re drinking _that much_ I ordered them cabs. Could you help Claire to park her car in our garage?”

“Yeah, sure, brother,” Benny replied with a strong Southern accent and he sounded like he dragged each word that came out from his mouth. “Show the way, Claire, I’ll follow.”

True to her words, Claire let Benny drove the car from the next block to the staff parking lot behind the main building. When she got out of the car, her attention was caught on the large black Chevrolet Impala, that was still in her prime condition as if being in perfect care throughout these years. Moreover, it made her even more intimidating, even as a car.

“Whose car is that?” Claire turned to Benny, who was waiting for her a few steps ahead, “The black Impala?”

“That’s Dean’s. His pride and joy,” the rugged man replied. “He’d call her Baby.”

Claire chuckled at that information, “I can see why. She’s gorgeous.”

Right after she said that Dean showed up from the back door of the bar and walked approaching them. “There you are. Claire, your cab is here. Kaia’s waiting for you.”

“Oh, okay,” the blonde girl called and then turned to Benny, “Thanks for your help, Benny, Dean. So, uh, I leave my car keys to you guys?”

“Nah, you can take it, Claire,” Benny replied as he led Claire and Dean to walk and see the cab that waited in front of the bar. “If you’re coming over tomorrow to pick up your car and you don’t see us, just say that you left it with me or Dean. I’ll let everyone know later about your car.”

They stopped when the cab came in sight and Claire gave the two men another smile and answered, “Thanks, guys. See you tomorrow then.”

* * *

The next morning Claire woke up with a slight headache and bitter taste in her mouth. She even still wore the same clothes as yesterday. This would be an interesting subject to be questioned by his father and brother. She looked at her phone - it’s _eleven_ in the morning - and groaned before dragged herself to the bathroom and took a nice hot shower before meeting her family in the dining room.

“Thought you’d sleep until noon, Claire Bear,” her father, Castiel Novak, CEO of Wavelength Digital said cheekily. “By the way, nice try to take a shower first. I heard you coming in last night, tripped on the stairs, did you?” this question was replied by a frustrated groan from Claire and a burst of laughter from Jack. “So, where did you go last night?”

Claire reached for the bread before she answered her father, “It was a place where you would feel like being catapulted to the past, the time where people have mullets and wear neon-coloured clothing. A bar called Blue Remington.”

Castiel almost spit out his drink at the name, “Seriously? That’s the name, Blue Remington?”

Jack raised his eyebrows in puzzlement, “What’s wrong with the name? It sounded like a good name.”

“Jack, sometimes I wonder if you really do belong in this time of life, not a decade or _two_ past,” Claire spread Nutella on her toast. “When I first came I honestly thought I would see people in leather and chains.”

At that remark, Castiel raised his hand to stop his daughter. “Wait, so is this place a bar or a BDSM club?”

“Oh my God, that’s what the dude who worked there said!” Claire reflexively shouted, and made the men on the dining table look at her weird. “So, there was this waiter who suddenly walked past us when we were talking about the place, and when I said I thought people there would be in leather and chains, he said that _exact_ same thing!”

“What? Come on, it’s, well, quite the stereotype of the BDSM activities. It’s just no wonder if many people thought of that,” Castiel tried to defend himself. “Okay, except for the BDSM ambience, what else can you tell me about the place. I’m curious.”

Claire sighed, “I don’t know, Dad. That place just gives you the feel of a safe and cosy place,” the daughter took a bite of her smoked beef sandwich. After a few moments of chewing, she turned to her father, “You know, why don’t you take Uncle Gabe there? I bet you two would love to hang out there and do your … weekly _bachelor_ night out or whatever. I think Uncle Gabe would love that place as well.”

Castiel leered to his daughter and smiled, “That sounded like a good idea. Although, I don’t want us to be there at the same time without noticing the other, and this goes to you too, Jack.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Jack lifted up his face from the newspaper he was reading. “I was reading and not bothering anyone.”

“I know you’re listening, and my point stands.”


	5. Tricks & Singers

“Which one of these was the doughnut you bought, Dean?”

Dean looked up from his phone - Benny sent a group message to let everyone know that someone was leaving an umbrella last night and he put it in the Lost and Found - and was met with a pair of light brown eyes. The eye colour that might be equivalent to whisky. It was Gabriel, the owner of the bakery, he nudged his head in the direction of a tall man. The latter was leaning over the glass counter, looking at rows of colourful and glazing pastries, with an excited look on his face.

“Uh, it was the Oreo one, I think?” Dean replied while being trapped in an eye-contact with Gabriel, who still looked menacing to him. Most probably since Sam’s been looking over the doughnuts for the past fifteen minutes and hasn’t made any decision yet. Quietly, Dean took a look around the store. It was near empty, which actually made sense since it was still ten in the morning on a Sunday. “Come on, Sammy, we’re gonna be late.”

“Oh, yeah, right. Can I have the Oreos, almond, and, uh, what’s the green one?”

“Green tea,” Gabriel replied shortly. 

From the way he replied, Dean assumed that Gabriel was out all night and was sleep-deprived, hence the temper. Or maybe he simply had no luck with women all night. 

Dean had known Gabriel since he first discovered Sweet Tricks a bit while ago, and they’ve been friends since. Dean would drop by at Gabriel’s bakery and enjoy the pastry and dessert there for free (sometimes), and Dean would serve Gabriel with Pamela’s latest creation for free in return (sometimes).

From their friendship, Dean would admit that Gabriel was actually an attractive guy, although he wasn’t precisely his type. He was cheeky, smart, and always knew how to push everyone’s buttons in a playful sort of way, including Dean’s. But once he was annoyed, it could clearly be apparent, and it would be wise to avoid long conversations with him until his mood lightened.

Children adored Gabriel and his magic skills that he shown at Sweet Tricks, and the ladies admired Gabriel’s smooth talks when he was at Blue Remington. Dean, on the other hand, found enjoyment in seeing Gabriel walk up the karaoke stage. He would pick up a bass guitar, then started leading the crowd with some classic rock - from Bob Seger to STYX - on karaoke nights. 

“Okay, I’m finished,” Sam broke Dean’s thoughts, as he grabbed the doughnut boxes (he got two of a dozen) and put his money back into his wallet. “Thanks a lot, Gabe. I might drop by here more often now that we know each other.”

The last part of that sentence had Dean raise his eyebrows, “Did you guys flirt while I zoned out?”

“Why not?” Gabriel replied, and his tone is lighter than before. Maybe they did flirt while Dean was lost in his thoughts. “Your sasquatch of a brother is nicer than you, Dean.”

“Hey, I introduced your store to him, don’t you forget that, Gabe,” Dean had his mock upset voice, “and now you're gonna have a loyal customer in him. Don’t say I never do anything for you. Come on, Sammy.”

“Miss you already, boys,” called Gabriel as the brothers Winchester smiled and waved to him before turning around to walk out of the store.

Dean could feel the phone in his hand vibrated, and when he looked, it was a message from Ellen. They were _officially_ late, and she had started to ask. As he looked down to reply, the corner of Dean’s eyes noticed that there was a man who was opening the door and holding it for him and Sam.

“Thanks, man,” Dean said as he lifted up his face, merely for courtesy, while walking past the man in long steps. He was just right outside of the store when he heard Gabriel called out to the man cheerfully (“Heya, ‘lil bro!”). Dean stopped for a quick second and looked back, curious what Gabriel’s younger brother would look like. Unfortunately, the man had his face to the counter’s direction, and the glass door had closed, reflecting the environment outside. 

Sam had waited for him next to the Impala with the doughnut boxes. “Dean, Ellen had texted me. We really gotta go before another text comes.”

“Finally!”

“Hey, Ellen. Sorry that we’re late- _ow!_ ” a slap on Dean’s head, and Sam’s, cut his greetings short. “We bring doughnuts!”

“So, that’s why you boys are late? You flirted with a girl at a bakery?” Ellen took the boxes and brought them to the kitchen. 

“Sammy was.”

“ _What?_ No, I wasn’t,” no matter how big his little brother got, it always amuses Dean how Sam always acted like a little brother that he is, and let Dean be the big brother to him. “How are you, Ellen?”

The two boys followed their surrogate mother to the kitchen, and Dean quickly bee-lined to the stove to stole a peek on what they will be having for breakfast. Sam helped Ellen with the doughnuts and unloading the plates for the table from the cabinet.

“I’m doing well. Not much has changed here, and I think Bobby started to get … old? A few days ago, I saw him reading up knitting _and_ gardening. Can you believe it? Bobby Singer knitting and gardening!” Ellen chuckled and handed Dean a bowl of salad. “Stop peeking, take this to the table, and get Bobby. He was busy at the garage last time I see. Would be great if he could help me here once in a while.”

The older boy chuckled and did as he was told. When Dean reached the dining room, Bobby showed up from the stairs and fresh from the shower. “Hey, Bobby. Still grunt as ever I see.”

“You would be too if you get to my age and find that there’s a rodent in the house,” Bobby rolled his eyes before stepped forward to give Dean a hug. “How are you, boy? The bar’s good?”

“Everything’s good. Me, Pamela, and Benny been working on something fun for the summer to attract customers,” Dean placed the salad at the centre of the table, then he turned to check the coffeemaker. 

“Oh, good, you’re here, Bobby,” Ellen came carrying a bowl of mashed potatoes to the table. “Okay, I know I said breakfast before, but what the hell. Let’s make this brunch all the way, yeah?” she continued as Sammy walked in, carrying a pan with two roast chickens in it.

Having a family breakfast, or brunch, at Bobby and Ellen’s is something that they regularly do on Saturdays. However, this week they were having it on Sunday since Bobby had a house call to fix a car of one of his notable clients. Most of the time, breakfast would even stretch all the way to dinner. It was one of the favourite moments for Sam and Dean because they know that the moment they stepped into the vintage house, they were children again, even if it’s only for a day.

Ellen would spoil them with delicious cookings, and Bobby would let them be boys. They can fight over TV shows or films, or even fight for the comfy couch, and Bobby would grunt and claimed it instead while bringing them beer. Before Dean started working at the bar, it wasn’t an alien sight to find the boys fell asleep in front of the telly after a huge dinner, or in front of the fireplace in winter. Bobby would usually grunt (again) and covered his boys with warm blankets.

That probably one of the moments that Bobby missed the most since Dean found his passion with Blue Remington, and Sam started dating Eileen. On the other hand, it made him happy and proud that the boys he took care of since they were kids grew up great and found their own happiness. In their own ways. 

“So, Sammy, why didn’t you invite Eileen today?”

Ellen’s question made Sam chuckled, “She would love to, Ellen, really. But, her parents are visiting this week, so she’s gonna be with them for a while.”

“She must be so excited to have her parents visiting,” Bobby commented while having his second helping of the mashed potato. “Where do her parents live?”

“Ireland,” Sam replied sheepishly, “Eileen and her parents moved here when she was thirteen or fourteen. Then when she was about to enter college, her parents went back to Ireland. Somehow she wanted to study law at Standford back then, and thank God she did.”

“Awww, that’s a sweet story, Sammy,” Dean cooed, earning a push on the arm from his little brother. “What? I’m serious, you were quite bummed after the grand break-up with Jess, and let’s be honest you weren’t that much in luck with girls after. But, now, you found Eileen, and you guys are cute.”

Sam raised his eyebrows in confusion, he probably didn’t expect Dean to put _that much_ attention towards his love life. “Uh, thanks?”

“My pleasure, bro.”

“Enough with teasing Sam, Dean,” Ellen started, “what about you? You never brought anyone here to meet us. A boy with your look, I found it hard to believe that you never have any girlfriends.”

_Girlfriends._

Dean could hear a faint laugh in the back of his head as he listened to that word. It’s not that he never had a girlfriend throughout his life, but he simply chose not to. Living with a committed relationship doesn’t seem like the kind of life for him, especially one with a woman. Yes, he enjoyed being with a woman - well, who _wouldn’t_? - but he also enjoyed being with a man. Maybe even more.

But, of course, he couldn’t say that to Bobby and Ellen. Even though they’re not his biological parents, but Dean can expect that they would love to have grandchildren from him and Sammy. Something that he was quite sure that he couldn’t give them. Dean just couldn’t bear with the disappointment on their face when the time came.

“There _were_ girlfriends, weren’t they?” Bobby put a halt on Dean’s train of thoughts, “So, which one of them who’d you think would be good to meet us?”

“What? No,” Dean quickly replied before more questions came, “I don’t have anyone at the moment. I’d rather keep it casual. It’s just too much of a fuss, a relationship, and I don’t think I can afford it now.”

Sam looked at Dean suspiciously, and about to mention a name or a character of a person.

“No, Sammy, whoever you had in mind, _nothing_ serious there,” Dean pointed his finger to his little brother, who raised his hands in defeat. 

And with that, the topic changed to one of Bobby’s friend, Garth, who managed to blew up a tractor at his farm without even turning it on. Dean let out a quiet sigh of relief at the shift.

“What? Did you hear yourself, Dean?”

“I’m just saying, Sammy,” this time it was Dean’s turn to raised his hands to his brother, but it wasn’t in defeat, more as a statement. “It was just ridiculous that he keep it _that_ long and without any-any-anything but the fact that they were childhood friends!”

Sam scoffed at his brother’s argument, “ _That_ alone is enough, Dean. For someone like him, who kept his principles right, and he’s protecting her. Not people are like you who would easily-”

“ _Whoa_ , Sammy, not cool. That’s crossing the limit there,” Dean put a fake stern look towards Sam, who - for the second time - raised his hands in defeat. “But it was ridiculous. Come on, you were supposed to be the one with the logic for _both_ of us here.”

“Well, apparently, for this kind of thing, you have more logic than I am,” even without looking, Dean could feel the subtle eye roll in his brother’s voice, and it made him laugh.

“What are you boys yapping about?” Bobby stepped into the living room and found his boys sat side by side on the couch and slightly pushing each other with each argument coming, just like when they were kids. “Okay, break it off.”

Both Dean and Sam stopped teasing each other and received the beer bottles from Bobby with cheerful thanks. After they took a sip, it was Sam who spoke first. “Bobby, look, we were watching this Korean drama called _Itaewon Class_. The main dude was already has a love interest from his childhood, but then there was another girl came and flirted with him. It was absurd if he fell for the new girl, just because she was flirty, right?”

Dean groaned with an eye roll before he sat up and gave his opinion, “Yeah, but the childhood crush didn’t do anything! What did she _expect_? For the dude to _always_ fight for her? That’s ridiculous. Go with the new girl, I say. Right, Bobby?”

The man whom they asked for the third opinion was only stood there and looked at them both as if they sprouted another head from their shoulders. After a few seconds, Bobby shook his head and turned on his heels, leaving the boys with their fight. Little did the brothers knew, there was a smile on Bobby’s face as he walked out, how he missed having their ridiculous argument in his house.

Bobby then muttered fondly, “Idjits.”


	6. Searching Mr Rifle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, look at that! We've passed the fifth chapter now! Thank you so much for y'all who had read this new fic of mine (even though I still have one ongoing and it's practically hanging now), I even saw some of you leaving Kudos and Bookmarked this one. That's very sweet of you guys!
> 
> I'm currently trying to update this one once a week, on the weekend (Friday or Saturday), so you guys won't have to be left hanging as long as my other fic.
> 
> Again, thank you so much for reading and liking my fic, guys!  
> Hope you enjoy this chapter!

Ever since he was little, Castiel felt that he was closer to his big brother just before him, Gabriel. Their close age difference is one of the reasons; they were only three years apart, compared to the twelve years gap between Castiel and the twins, Michael and Anna. Another was the fact that the two youngest Shurley boys tried their best not to be like their father.

Gabriel was the one who always stood for Castiel, whenever their father or older siblings started to pick on him for not "following the family values". Castiel admired Gabriel's bravery back then, and now. He told their father that he didn't want any part of the family business if that means he had to live with the suffocating rules and standards of the House of Shurley. He would rather be having a fun time of his life learning the business and start one of his own. He used most of his savings from their mother, right before she passed away.

It was probably something that people call as 'blind faith' since Castiel would always follow Gabriel's words. Most of the time. Back when they were kids. Since he learnt how life goes as an adult, Castiel started to live life as he sees fit, that included dropping his family name and took his mother's maiden name. He was also grateful for Gabriel, who was always willing to support him, or gave him shit whenever Castiel started to went astray. 

The support also came for him when Castiel came out to his big brother that he was _never_ a heterosexual man. Even with his marriage to Jack's mother.

There were times where Castiel wondered if he should tell his children about his sexuality. But, he was afraid, _obviously_. While he knew that both Jack and Claire weren't shallow, it would still be a challenge for Castiel to come out to his children. Especially after _twenty_ years. It must be weird for them, especially someday when Castiel would bring home a man and introduce him as his _lover_ to his children. 

Of course, he didn't have any plan to be in a serious relationship now, but wouldn't it be better not to say never?

Maybe it would be wise to discuss this with Gabriel. He is, after all, his big brother and his children's uncle. He could be a perfect middle man for this discussion, as he always (or more likely, _most_ of the time) have good advise that Castiel would gladly follow.

Like tonight.

A Sunday night.

When they entered a bar by the name of Blue Remington. 

It was probably not the best name for a bar, especially in the _twenty-first_ century. Still, Castiel admitted that there was a cheeky ring there that people would remember. Moreover, it wasn't only in the name, but also the way the place was designed. 

The strong retro vibe brought a feeling of nostalgia to Castiel, the way everyone seemed so happy inside and sharing a laugh was fantastic. It felt like entering a bar for uni students, minus the jocks who would be trying so hard to impress the cheerleaders.

"Hey, Pamela!"

_Of course_ , Gabriel would know someone here, and a woman as well.

A beautiful brunette with bright green eyes walked to them and gave Gabriel a tight hug. "How's it going, stranger? It's been a while since I saw you here."

"I was here last week," answered Gabriel, "although I didn't see you."

"Oh right, you were here when I was going back home to Alaska," Pamela chuckled before she slithered her toned arm around Gabriel's waist. "Well, this time we're here together. So, who's blue eyes here?"

Gabriel moved a little to give Pamela a better look at the man with blue eyes who was with him. "Pamela, meet Castiel, my baby brother."

" _What?_ " there was a definite tone of surprise at Pamela's voice, a good kind of surprised. "You mean you're _not_ the last child?"

"Hey, what does that mean?" Gabriel protested. 

"Hi, Castiel, really nice to meet you. I'm Pamela, I work here as a bartender," she held out her hand.

Castiel smiled at Pamela while shaking her hand, "Hello, Pamela, a pleasure to meet you. I like the place, it kinda gives me a nostalgia vibe, and the atmosphere's really nice."  
"Oh, thank you, sweetheart. Is this your first time here?"

"Yeah, my daughter was here the other night, and she said that this place is amazing, and I should take a look," Castiel returned Pamela's smile that got wider after she heard his answer. "I can understand now why Gabriel loves to come here. Without telling me, apparently, and made me feel stupid for having _an hour-long_ phone call trying to convince him to go here."

"I'm sorry, bro," Gabriel shrugged at Castiel's remark, "I don't think you would like going to bars and do silly things here."

"Well, I can always _watch_ you do silly things here, Gabriel," replied Castiel.

Pamela laughed at Castiel's answer, "I like your brother, Gabriel. I'm gonna give him a drink on the house. Be right back, boys."

"So, how did you find this place? This is really nice, and just like Claire said it's not as noisy as other pubs," Castiel looked around the place in awe and stopped at the stage where a woman was leading the crowd to an 80's rock song.

"One of my customers owned this place. If you met him, you probably understand _why _this place has a strong 80s-90s vibe with classic rock blaring around. I think that's the only music genre he knows," Gabriel answered while looking at the menu on the table. "Ooh, I think you missed him this morning. He dropped by with his brother, said they wanted to buy some doughnuts for breakfast with their family."__

__Castiel raised his eyebrows at the information given and rolled his memory back to the time his brother gave him. True, that he visited Gabriel's bakery around ten or eleven this morning and saw a few people there, but most were families with children. In fact, the only ones who came without children were the two men whom he helped with the door, as one was holding the doughnut boxes and another was busy with his phone. Still remembered to thank him, though._ _

__Probably it was one of them. Unfortunately, Castiel didn't get a good look at either of them._ _

__As he saw his little brother started to zoned out, Gabriel continued, "Pamela is the co-owner of this place, but both of them didn't want to be known as owners. They're comfortable to be known as the bartenders."_ _

__"Why?"_ _

__"No reason, blue eyes," the woman who was the topic between the brothers had returned with a glass of drink for Castiel and Gabriel, "I like to be known as the bartender instead, sweetie. Sounds less responsibilities, and more relatable to the customers. That's your free drink for bringing new customer for us, Gabriel."_ _

__"Cheers, Pamela."_ _

__Castiel lifted his glass and made a quick toast with his big brother before gulped it in. "Ooh, that's really strong, Pamela, but tastes good," his compliment was responded with a proud smile and nod from the lady bartender. "So, Gabriel told me about you and another owner of this place."_ _

__"Ah, Dean," a fond smile was shown on her face, "he's your brother's favourite. He loves to tease him."_ _

__"Really?" Castiel turned cheekily towards his big brother._ _

__"You should see his annoyed face, Cassie. Very amusing," Gabriel replied as he received the bowl of french fries from the waiter. "But, he's really nice and very selfless. I think he was one of the reasons people keep coming back here, right, Pam? People would feel like they're in good hands when visiting this place. This is a wonderful and _safe_ place."_ _

__There was a tone of assurance in Gabriel's voice, and Castiel understood what that means. He gave his big brother a thankful smile as he carried on the conversation._ _

__"So, where's Dean-o?" Gabriel asked Pamela, who was looking at her phone._ _

__"Said he's visiting his surrogate parents today, and most probably be staying over there for the night. So, no working for Mr Winchester tonight."_ _

__" _Winchester?_ " Castiel chuckled. "His name is Winchester, and he named his bar _Remington_? Is he a fan of rifles or guns?"_ _

__"Actually, no. Dean kept saying that the 'Remington' is a _twisted_ play for his name, Winchester," Pamela explained, "but you've guessed it in one go. He's _really_ gonna admire you for that, Castiel."_ _

__The last remark from Pamela made Castiel let out a nervous laugh and earned a kick from Gabriel under the table._ _

__As the conversation went, Castiel was sure that he will definitely return to Blue Remington for more visit or unwinding time from work. Have a pint of beer while listening to people singing karaoke on stage and enjoying a great time together with people they know and strangers._ _

__Yes, indeed he will return here. With or without Gabriel._ _

__And the plan to consult about his private life to Gabriel is forgotten._ _


End file.
